AUSTRALIAN NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4317, 28 March 1901, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

On all sides the weather is being prp-' iiouuccd, perfect for tho development of the cane crops in Queensland. Though still somewhat backward, the growth is most rapid, and in many places cane, as opposed to stalk, is making rapidly. Frequent showers and great heat, such as is now being experienced, have not boon known for many years, and the opinion is expressed that a decu.edly fair season, even if not a good ovffi, is assured. The position of affairs along tho Mackey river is excellent. , It is by no means impossible that the world may before long be startled hy a. development in medicine which will rank with Dr Jcmier’s discovery of vaccination. One of the leading -kitv j bourns surgeons has devoted himsolt iqr: a long time to tho study of canccroits i growths. Ho claims that he has sub-j Seeded already in curing cases which had 1 previously defied medical skill, ana in this contention ho is not alone. Ailother surgeon, perhaps the leading practitioner in' Victoria, is stated to have had cognisance of one of thes.e oases, and to have alleged that he never, thought he would I've to see the day when such a euro coul be effected. ; 1 The Sundaylclosing regulations were enforced' last week, rather to the surprise of the average citizen, who. never, notices public declarations of this sort, and only learns the law by realising that a shop-door 1 which -h© expected to b;o open is closed and' barred in the most effectual way. “The Act is hardly a' great novelty, but for some time the Sydney no lice have been accustomed to stand opposite a .fruit shop on Sunday, and gaze at it with eyes that do not see people buying,, bags of fruit and drinking, iced solt drinks andl rodk--1 shakes. Now, however, that is changed; one may oat fruit at tho counter, or 'eat a meal, but one may not carry away the fruit or drink anything whatever. 1

The picturesque old Devonshire street cemetery, Sydney,,will soon bo a thing of history. , For many, years now the grass and shrubs-hare grown together to suoh a tall -and tangled wilderness that only a etono here and there was visible from' the Redforn station. Now it is all cleared—a melancholy-looking spot, where people comp from far-off parts of the oblong to superintend, the removal of Vito (remains' of relations whom they barely remember,, or : of whom, in other, 'cdses, they only know by hearsay A from, 'their parents. For some who lie there; there are of course ho' kin; a, letter’ink the '“’Sydney-Morn-ing Herald;” of last week - calls attention to the fact , that in the Devonshire street ground lip. Sarah Flower and Rosalie ‘Durandi j;wo , of the- sweetest singers and most gifted and charming women who ever came- to Australia, but for whoso remains not a. single conneoltion or friend ; h’jSs'' yct come forward*. [ A strong ’ opinion , prevails in coupmercial, circles .hiyMelbonrne that tho tariff should -be settled quickly, and that the-question .should not be allowed to standi oyer to the second session of tho Federal Parliament. Being as yet in ignorance of,7the intentions of tho Federal ' Government, merchants find themselves in . a; very unenviable posit tiou. They are -afraid of operating ex 4 tonsively, • i and they - find Ilidm-f selves compelled ; to narrow • their transactions to' the' lowest possible scale. Meanwhile ■ Sydney merchants have denuded Melbourne holders of val rious stocks in anticipation: of tho new Federal Customs'. .rates. Large ship-; meats of tea and 'tinned fish have lately found their' way from. Melbourne-to Sycb ney, and further transfers of stocks are, reported to! ba impending. ! An inqtiesh .w^s'hold ,at Orange, New! South, -Wale's;- -early'this,' month on the; body of William Rusden, who was accb dentally ‘shot by t a man named Caleb; Cu,ndy near Lewi s Po nds, Creek. A ver-i diet of accidental! death was returned.! Deceased was washing for gold in ai creek at the time, and Gundy fired at; his head, thinking from the position of tho man thait ho was a w-nter-i-at. Rus-; den’s head and hack were riddled! with; shot, and,he died about half- an hour afterwards.. Near. Penrith (in the same/ colony), in; tho, succeeding week, a! somewhat similar ' occurrence was reported. James Mills, a farmer in tho, locality, being much troubled with rats in his barn, began to shoot them with a pea-rifle. Ho had several shots when, noticing what ho thought to be a rat in an opening under the eaves, ho fired, and immediately heard a scream. On going to the spot ho found ho had shot his son in tho back of the bead. The lad was brought into the Nepean Cottage Hospital, and the bullet was extracted. He is progressing favourably. • Sir Alex. C. Onslow, Administrator of Western Australia, took leave of the Executive Council on February 27th, prior to leaving on an extended holiday. Mr Throssell, on behalf of the Government, extended to Sir Alexander the best wishes of tho Council for his and Lady Onslow’s happiness during their absence. Mr Justice Stone was, cn February 27th, appointed Acting-Chief Justice during the absence of Sir A. Onslow. He will also act as administrator of the Government until the arrival of tho ndw Governor, Sir Arthur Lawloy, on May Ist. Messrs, George Leak, F. W. Moorhou.so.and R. W. Pennofather (AttorneyGeneral) have bden appointed l King’s Council by the Executive Council of West Australia. -Messrs S. H. Parker and S. Burt, who were appointed before, tho introduction of responsible government, will probably hard their commissions renewed from Downing street. The crew of the; American ship W. H. Conner, at Perth, refused to turn to duty, making complaints concerning their treatment, by the officers. Among other allegations, it was stated that a plan who had -died at sea- had been improperly treated! during bis illness, and bad even been assaulted by one of the .officers. The matter baa been reported

to the American consul, and meanwhile the crew have all been Arrested.' ' " A strike occurred’ at the Fremantle Smelting Works on the 7th instant, owing to tho number of slag-wheelers being reduced. Eventually,'.an' amicable, arrangement was arrived at. - ■ ’ , ; , Up to the Bth instant-twenty workers’, and taro’ employers’ unions had been rer, gisfered, in West ’Australia under the new Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. , ... :

An extraordinary experience fell to tho lot ,of a train which left Albany for Perth cn March Orel. When travelling up an incline tho wheels of tho engine failed to grip and the train was brought to a standstill. The trouble was then found to bb due to myriads of bla’ck ants which were trekking along the rails, and, being crushed by the wheels, rendered the line greasy and impassable. ’ A shooting affray occurred on the fourmpsted vessel Sound of JUro," Which‘was loading jarrah at-Bunbury on March 7th. Tho second mate (Tapping) fired two revolver shots without effect at the first mate, and-'was then - arroded. _ _ ; ■The sales of. iSouth Australian'wine from the depot in London during 1900 exceeded 100,000 gallons, and sp, far during the present year - tlieJ increase'has been maintained. , ■

A serious afccideut happened at the Mitcham Crusher Quarry, South Australia, resulting in the-.entombment of two men, Williams and Hall, “who were afterwards rescued in a badly injured condition. •' " .

The “TeanysQti !Oap,” presented by the Governor cf South Australia to. .the Rpyal South Australian Yacht Squadron, was won by Vice-Commodore Sanderson in the-Matangi. The West Australian Government Geologist (Mr Gibb Maitland) has completed a. trip from the Murchison goklfiefcls to Carnarvon, and . reports discovering between tho Wcramel and' Minilya rivers, an extensive deposit of glacial origin, extending over a distance of from, sixty to ’seventy miles. ,Mr Maitland brought many ice-scratched boulders to Perth.: